With respect to an electronic device having one or more wires attached therein, movement of the wires relative to the electronic device stresses the wires at the point of attachment within the electronic device. Various strain relief arrangements have heretofore been employed to reduce the stress and strain applied to these wires so as to prevent breakage of the wires. In typical strain relief arrangements, an outer jacket encases the wires and a strain relief, such as a metal or plastic collar, is bonded or crimped over the outer jacket. The strain relief is mounted to the electronic device to fix the longitudinal position (and possibly the rotational position) of the strain relief and the outer jacket relative to the electronic device. Any stresses or strains are therefore concentrated on the strain relief and the outer jacket, instead of on the wires.
A drawback of the foregoing strain relief arrangements is that bonding or crimping the strain relief over the outer jacket compromises the integrity of the outer jacket. Bonding or crimping the strain relief over the jacket weakens or possibly tears the outer jacket, which, in turn, reduces the effectiveness of the strain relief arrangement. Another drawback of some of these arrangements, especially those which bond the strain relief to the outer jacket, is that the outer jacket exhibits poor flame retardance, poor abrasion resistance, and/or poor flexibility. Yet another drawback of some of these strain relief arrangements is that they are bulky because the strain relief occupies a relatively large amount of space.
A need therefore exists for a strain relief arrangement which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings associated with the above-types of strain relief arrangements.